The present invention relates to electronic price label (EPL) systems, and more specifically to a system and method of displaying information by an EPL.
EPL systems typically include a plurality of EPLs for merchandise items in a transaction establishment. EPLs typically display the prices of corresponding merchandise items on store shelves and are typically attached to a rail along the leading edge of the shelves. A transaction establishment may contain thousands of EPLs to display the prices of the merchandise items. The EPLs are coupled to a central server from where information about the EPLs is typically maintained in an EPL data file. Price information displayed by the EPLs is obtained from a price look-up (PLU) data file and stored within an EPL price change record.
EPLs may also display additional information, such as promotional information. The additional information may also include employee-directed information to assist in managing the transaction establishment, such as inventory information, sales dollars, on-order quantities, sales quantities (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, last year, this day). As the amount of additional information increases, and the frequency of change of displayed information increases, the number of messages transmitted to the EPLs increases. However, EPL system bandwidth is typically limited.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a system and method of displaying information by an EPL which reduces communication with the EPL.